When you have given time, effort, sweat, and love to your urban homestead, how do you leave it? Rachel Cunning shares her story of building up her homestead, having to leave what she created, and planning for the next home. I am standing in the driveway of our suburban homestead. The wind blows lightly through 20 […]

Wild populations of quail have been shrinking in the U.S. for decades, to the concern of bird conservationists. However, in recent years, several different species of quail have become popular birds with homesteaders and backyard bird enthusiasts. They are small, easy to maintain, and in most states they aren’t considered livestock. This means that you […]

This is a companion piece to Liz Fulghum’s article Low-Maintenance Backyard Chickens. Here Liz provides detailed equipment lists and instructions for building a low-maintenance food and water system for your backyard chickens. This DIY food and water system is ideal for a backyard flock of 3 to 6 chickens and for busy urban homesteaders with […]

Chickens provide free compost, fresh eggs, and are extremely helpful garden assistants by turning up soil, eating insects, and keeping weeds at bay. They’re part of the perfect garden trifecta: fruit and vegetables, chickens, and bees. They’re also wonderful on their own, without bees or dedicated vegetable gardens. So if you have some extra space in […]

While most backyard chickens exist for the production of eggs and meat, compost is an equally valuable resource the chicken run can provide. Even better, the bulk of the labor is free, and copious amounts of compost pays in dividends. The birds are happier and healthier because there’s no better place to find insects and […]

Pick Your Chicks Choosing the best chicken breeds to raise begins with deciding which attributes are most important to you: egg production, meat production, temperament or other qualities. If you try a breed for a year or two and decide it isn’t quite what you were looking for, try another — or try two or […]

Chicken eggs are the most consumed eggs all around the world. It’s good, it’s healthy, it’s easy. But some people, out of curiosity or nutritional reason, might be interested in trying some other type of eggs, like duck eggs. Switching to duck eggs can give your boring breakfast routine a refreshing change. Plus, duck eggs […]

The biggest reason we decided to keep chickens on our farm is for egg production. But even if our hens never laid another egg, I would still raise chickens just to watch their funny antics and their quirky behaviors. In this post, our community of writers explore chicken behavior. Chickens hold a complex social instinct […]

It’s that blissful time of year again! Garden centers are getting in flats of Pansies and early spring vegetables. The snow peas are planted and the asparagus is making it’s way through the cool spring soil like blades of green triumph. It’s garden season! Chickens, in addition to laying eggs and being adorable, can also […]

Providing nutritious food and clean water for your flock is one of the most important aspects of their health and development. It’s also important to know what your chickens are eating because in turn, we eat their eggs (and for some, the birds themselves). Chickens can thrive on a variety of different foods and feeding […]